Shopkeepers will be warned and fined if they sell alcohol to minors, according to a new regulation which comes into force nationwide from January 1 next year.

Persistent violators will be fined up to 2,000 yuan (US$247).

China did forbid alcohol sales to minors in a 1999 law to prevent juvenile delinquency, but there was no provision for penalties.

One city that is not waiting for the new regulation to come into force is Shanghai.

The metropolis has taken the lead with 50 big supermarkets and convenience stores having already signed an agreement banning sales to the underaged.

Notices proclaiming "Alcohol not sold to minors" will soon be posted in the 45,000 sales outlets in the city.

But not all are convinced that the new regulation will have the desired effect.

"Children are often encouraged to drink beer or wine during festivals or celebrations," said Qu Yiming, secretary general of Shanghai Alcohol Distribution and Trade Association.

It is also common for children to buy alcohol for parents, which will now be banned.

Lu Xianglong, a Beijing-based shopkeeper, said it is difficult to tell the buyer's age as "a lot of them look older."

Besides, he said, sellers do not have the right to check proof of age such as an identity card.

Business insiders also believe the maximum fine is not enough of a deterrent for unscrupulous sellers.

However, Tong Lihua, a well-known lawyer with the Beijing Legal Assistance and Research Centre for Young People, said the new regulation is an improvement because it "finally includes substantial punishment."

Tong also advised alcohol sellers and parents to have the sense of responsibility to keep minors away from alcohol, as they do with cigarettes.

(China Daily November 17, 2005)